Device for stripping fiber tufts in the picking process

ABSTRACT

Device for stripping fiber tufts utilized for plucking fiber tufts from a pressed fiber bale or opening fiber tufts into smaller fiber tufts, in the picking process. In this stripping device, a plurality of stripping members are turnably assembled about a common shaft, and these stripping members are provided with a plurality of pins or saw teeth secured on a working surface thereof. These stripping members are rotated in opposite directions one by one alternately or one group by one group alternately along the common shaft.

United States Patent [191 Araki et al.

[451 Nov. 12, 1974 [54] DEVICE FOR STR IPPING FIBER TUFTS IN THE PICKING PROCESS [75] Inventors: Hidejiro Araki, Aichi-ken; Takashi Katoh, Kariya; Susumu Otani, 'Ohbu, all of Japan [73] Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toyoda Jidoshokki Seisakusho, Aichi-ken, Japan [22] Filed: June 25, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 373,515

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 27, 1972 Japan 47-64819 [52] US. Cl 19/80 R [51] Int. Cl D0lg 7/06 [58] Field of Search 19/80 R, 81, 145.5; 241/101 A [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,135,022 6/1964 Binder. 19/80 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,528,453 4/1968 France 19/80 R 307,067 3/1955 Switzerland 19/81 Primary E.\'aminerDorsey Newton [57] ABSTRACT Device for stripping fiber tufts utilized for plucking fiber tufts from a pressed fiber bale or opening fiber tufts into smaller fiber tufts, in the picking process. In this stripping device, a plurality of stripping members are turnably assembled about a common shaft, and these stripping members are provided with a plurality of pins or saw teeth secured on a working surface thereof. These stripping members are rotated in opposite directions one by one alternately or one group by one group alternately along the common shaft.

6 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PAIENTEUnnv 12 1974 v srm sur 9 3'846'879 Fig. 5

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for stripping fiber tufts in the picking process, more particularly relates to a stripping device capable of being utilized as an apparatus for plucking fiber tufts from pressed fiber bale or an apparatus for opening and cleaning fiber tufts in the picking process.

In the conventional machines utilized in the picking process, for example, so called bale plucking machine or opening and cleaning machines, a plucking roller or opening roller is utilized for plucking fiber tufts from a fiber bale or for opening larger fiber tufts into smaller fiber tufts respectively. These rollers principally comprise a rotatable shaft or drum and a plurality of teeth members secured to the peripheral surface thereof so that these teeth members rotate together with the shaft or drum in one rotational direction. We have observed the following drawbacks in the above-mentioned plucking roller or opening and cleaning roller. In case of the bale plucking apparatus wherein a plucking roller is disposed below a plurality of supporting bars which support a pressed fiber bale, because of the unevenness of fiber density of the pressed fiber bales, particularly cotton bales wherein the fiber density varies remarkably, the plucking action by the plucking roller can be effectively applied to portions where the fiber density is comparatively low. However, it is difficult to apply the effective plucking action to portions where the fiber density is comparatively high, because the teeth of the plucking roller tend to slip upon the under surface of these portions. Even if the teeth of the plucking roller effectively work on these portions, only comparatively larger blocks of fibers can be separated from the fiber bale. As a result of this, uniform plucking of the fiber bale is disturbed, in other words, the thickness of the fiber bale on the supporting bars becomes increasingly less uniform as the bale plucking operation proceeds. Due to the above-mentioned irregular change in the thickness of the fiber bale, it becomes difficult to dispose the next fresh fiber bale on the fiber bale just before completion of the plucking operation thereof so as to carryout the plucking operation continuously. Consequently, a machine operator is required to rearrange the fiber bale by troublesome manual operation so as to attain the desirable uniform plucking operation. Further, in the above-mentioned bale plucking apparatus, it is impossible to prevent clogging the spaces formed between the supporting bars with large blocks of fibers. The above-mentioned clogging sometimes causes breaking of the teeth of the plucking roller.

In the case of the above-mentioned opening and cleaning machines, a so called striker roller or pin rolthe beating bars or pins so as to separate smaller fiber tufts from the gripped fiber tufts. However, it has been observed that the gripped fiber tufts tend to hang from the gripping means. In this condition, the beating bars or pins usually work on only one side of the hanging material while the other side of the hanging material does not receive effective action by the beating bars or pins. And it has often been observed that, because of this one sided effective'action of the beating bars or pins, the length of the hanging material increases, and finally a comparatively large block of fiber tufts is separated from the gripped fiber tufts.

The principle object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks observed in the conventional bale plucking apparatus or opening and cleaning device in the picking process.

For the sake of easy understanding of the'present invention, the plucking or opening action by means of the above-mentioned plucking roller or opening and cleaning roller is hereinafter referred to as stripping action and the means for carrying out this stripping action is hereinafter referred to as a stripping roller.

In the stripping roller according to the present invention, a plurality of stripping members are coaxially and rotatably mounted on a shaft in such a way that some number of stripping members are capable of turning toward one rotating direction while remaining number of stripping members are capableof turning toward the opposite rotating direction. The arrangement of the above-mentioned opposite turning stripping members may be chosen inone by one alternate arrangements or one group by one group alternate arrangement. Each stripping member comprises a plurality of stripping knives or bars secured to a circular circumferential surface of a base body rotatably mounted on the shaft. A stripping member comprising a plurality of stripping pins rigidly mounted on a circumferential surface of a disc may be utilized wherein the disc is rotatably mounted on the shaft. In this case, fine stripping action can satisfactorily be carried out.

The detailed composition, characteristic function of the stripping roller according to the present invention are hereinafter illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF ILLUSTRATION OF THE DRAWINGS nism of the stripping device shown in FIG. l,

FIG. 5 is a schematic front view of modified separation plates utilized for the stripping device according to the present invention,

FIG. 6 is a schematic front view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the stripping device utilized for cotton bale plucker, according to the present invention,

FIG. 7 is a front view, partly in section of an opening and cleaning apparatus utilizing the stripping device according to the present invention,

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the stripping device taken along a line VIIIVIII in FIG. 7.

DETAILED ILLUSTRATION OF THE INVENTION Detailed mechanism of a cotton bale plucker adopted with a stripping device according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 3C and 4. In this bale plucker, a shaft 3 is rigidly supported by a pair of brackets 2 mounted on a pair of side frames 1 of the bale plucker. A plurality of separation plates 4 are secured to the shaft 3 in such a way that the intervening spaces between two adjacent separation plates 4 are identical. A three armed bracket 5 is also rigidly mounted on the shaft 3 at each intervening-space between two adjacent separation plates 4. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3A,3B and 3C, these separation plates 4 and three armed brackets 5 are secured to the shaft 3 by means of a key 6. The three armed bracket 5 is provided with three arms extended radially from the central axis thereof with an intervening angle of 120 between adjacent two arms. At each terminal position of each arm which is a symmetrical position with respect to the central axis of the three armed bracket 5, a horizontal shaft 7 is secured to the arm of the bracket 5. A guide roller 8 is rotatably mounted on each horizontal shaft 7. A ring shaped member 9 is slidably supported by three rollers 8, in each intervening space between two adjacent separation plates 4. That is, each ring shaped member 9 is slidably engaged with said three rollers 8 at the inside cylindrical surface of the ring shaped member 9. An internal gear 10 is formed on the inside cylindrical surface of the ring shapedmember 9 at an outside area beside the contacting surface thereof with three roller 8. A pair of saw tooth plate 11 provided with a plurality of saw teeth 11' are coaxially secured to the ring shaped member 9 with a predetermined intervening space therebetween, by a plurality of pins 24. Each saw tooth plate 11 is provided with a plurality of teeth projectedoutward from the rotational axis of the ring shaped member 9. The assembly of each ring shaped member 9 with the saw teeth plate 11 is hereinafter referred to as a stripping member 12.

A pair of horizontal rotatable shafts 13, 14 pass through apertures 15 of each separation plate 4, apertures 35 of the side frames 1 and the inside space of the ring shaped member 9, and these horizontal shafts l3, 14 are rotatably supported by small brackets 16 secured to the brackets 2. A pulley 17 and a plain gear 18 are rigidly mounted on the shaft 13 at an end portion thereof, while another plain gear 19 is rigidly mounted on the shaft 14 at a particular position where the gear 18 meshes with the gear 19. Consequently, the shafts 13 and 14 can be driven simultaneously in opposite directions to each other when the pulley 20 is driven by a V belt 21. A plurality of pinion gears 22, 23 are rigidly mounted on the shafts l3 and 14 respectively. These gears are arranged so as to engage with the internal gear 10 of the respective ring shaped member 9. Consequently, any ring shaped member 9 wherein the internal gear 10 thereof meshes with the pinion gear 22, simultaneously rotatedin the opposite directions to that of any ring shaped member 9 wherein the internal gear 10 thereof meshes with the. pinion gear 23. Therefore, the working directions of the saw teeth of the stripping member 12 depend uponwhether the internal gear 10 meshes with the pinion gear 22 or the pinion gear 23. In this embodiment, internal gears 10 of the ring shaped members 9 arranged along the shaft 3 alternately mesh with the pinion gears 22 and 23. Consequently, working directions of the saw teeth of the stripping member 12 are alternately changed with respect to the lateral direction of the bale plucking machine along the shaft 3.

As the separation plates 4 are arranged with a fixed intervening space between two adjacent plates 4, the top edges of these plates 4 work to support a supplied cotton bale 25. In this cotton bale plucking machine, it is so designed that the outer profile of the saw teeth of the stripping member 12 project beyond a horizontal curved plane defined by the top edges of these plates 4 The working effect of thestripping member mainly depends upon the rotating speed thereof and the relative position of the outer profile of the saw teeth of the stripping member 12 to the horizontal curved plane defined by the top edges of these plates 4. j

Consequently, it is required to choose the abovementioned positional relationship between the outer profile of the stripping member 12 and the horizontal curved plane defined by the top edges of the separation plates 4 so as to attain the optimum effective plucking action. For the sake of easy adjustment of the abovementioned positional relationship, it is preferable to use a displaceable set of separation plates 4 wherein each separation plate 4 is provided with a perpendicular slot 26 instead of -a circular aperture for engaging with the shaft 3 so as to allow displacement in the perpendicular direction. To support these separation plates 4, these plates 4 are rigidly secured by horizontal rods 27 extending along the shaft 3 in parallel condi tion. The separation plates 4 arranged'at both sides of the device are secured to horizontal bars 28 extending laterally toward the outsides of the side frames 1 by means of fastening bolts 29. At both end portions of each horizontal bar 28, vertical rods 30 are rigidly secured as shown in FIG. 5. The bottom portion of each vertical rod 30 is provided with a screw thread for fastening to a bracket 31 rigidly secured to the machine frame 1.

The position of each vertical rod 30 is fixed to the bracket 31 by a pair of fastening nuts 32. Consequently, the above-mentioned relative position of the separation plates 4 to the stripping member 12 can be easily adjusted by changing the fixed position of the vertical rods 30 to the brackets 31.

As shown in the drawings, a pair of conveyer belts 33, 34 are disposed in such a condition that the upper portion of these belts 33, 34 are positioned at substantially the same position of the horizontal curved plane defined by the top edges of the separation plates 4. The conveyer belts 33 and 34 are provided with reciprocal driving motion wherein a stroke of this reciprocal motion is chosen so as to displace the supplied cotton bale reciprocally above the working position of the stripping roller comprised of the stripping members 12.

According to the'present invention, a device 36 for supplying fresh cotton bale is mounted above the conveyer belt 33. A fresh cotton bale is supplied to the stripping device when a processing cotton bale, which becomes thin, is displaced to a position below the device 36. As the subject matter of the present invention is not directed to the cotton bale plucking machine, the detailed illustration of the supplying device 36 is omitted. As each stripping member 12 is separated by the separation plates 4 on both sides, even if two adjacent stripping members 12 rotate in opposite directions,- air currents created about each stripping member 12 do not interfere with the air current created about the adjacent stripping member 12. Consequently, the fiber tufts separated from the cotton bale 25 are smoothly delivered to a bottom portion of the device where a conveyer belt (not shown) is disposed so as to carry the cotton tufts to a successive machine.

According to the stripping device of the abovementioned embodiment, as the stripping saw teeth 11' of stripping member 12 work in opposite directions alternately, for example, if the saw teeth 11' of the stripping members 12a, 12c, 12e, 12g work in a clockwise direction about the shaft 3, the saw teeth 11' of the stripping members 12b, 12d, 12fand 12h work in a counterclockwise direction. Consequently even if a certain portion of the cotton bale is very hard to pluck, the slippage of the teeth 11' of the stripping member 12 can be satisfactorily prevented and uniform plucking action can be applied to the cotton bale 25.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the stripping members 12 are rotated in either one of two rotating directions about the shaft 3 alternately. However, it is also effective to rotate a pluralities of adjacent stripping members 12 as a group so that the driving mechanism of the stripping members 12 becomes simpler.

For the sake of avoiding prolixity in the following description, the illustration about the same machine elements as the above-mentioned first embodiment is abbreviated and the same reference numerals as the first embodiment are used for indicating these elements.

In the embodiment of the stripping device shown in FIG. 6, a horizontal shaft 3 is stationarily mounted on a pair of brackets secured to machine frame (not shown) at a particular position between the two conveyer belts 33, 34. A plurality of separation plates 40 are rigidly mounted on the shaft 3 with an equal intervening space between two adjacent separation plates 40. A drum 41 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 3 at each intervening position between two adjacent separation plates 40.

A pair of horizontal shafts 42 and 43 pass through corresponding apertures formed at symmetrical bottom positions of each separation plate 40 in parallel condition with the shaft 3 and rotatably supported by bearings (not shown) secured to machine frames (now shown) in rigid condition. A plurality of drums 44 are turnably mounted on the shaft 42 in such a way that each drum 44 is disposed in each intervening space between two adjacent separation plates 40. A plurality of drums 46 are turnably mounted on the shaft 43 in the samemanner as the drums 44 on the shaft 42. An endless belt 47 provided with a plurality of saw teeth 47 planted thereon is belted on each pair of drum 41 and 44, while another endless belt 48 provided with a plurality of saw teeth 48' is belted on each pair of drum 41 and 46. A pulley 49 is rigidly mounted on an outside I end portion of the shaft 42 and the pulley'49 is posicounterclockwise about the shaft 3, while each endless belt 48 is turned clockwise about the shaft 3.

The point of each saw tooth of the endless belts 47 48 is pointed toward'their respective belts turning directions. In this embodiment, the relative disposition of the outside profile of the saw teeth of the endless belts 47, 48 at the top portions thereof to the horizontal plane defined by the top edges of the separation plates 40 is chosen in a way similar to the first embodiment. In this embodiment of the stripping device, fiber tufts taken from the fiber bale 25 are thrown to both sides of the endless belts 47 and 48. Therefore, both sides of the endless belts 47 and 48 are covered with inclined cover plates 53, 54. At the bottom terminal of the endless belts 47 and 48, a pair of cleaning rollers 55, 56 are rigidly mounted on the respective shafts 55, 56' so as to strip fiber tufts from these endless belts 47, 48 respectively. These rollers 55, 56 are rotated toward opposite directions to these endless belts 47, 48. An intermediate separation plate 57 is disposed between the lower terminals of the endless belts 47 and 48, and the above-mentioned covers 53, 54 are extended downward so as to cover the cleaning rollers 55, 56 and then further downward to a position in the proximity of and above a conveyer belt 58 which carries opened fiber tufts to the succeeding machine ln this embodiment, each endless belt 47 is driven to counterclockwise about the shaft 3, which direction is opposite to the turning direction of the adjacent endless belts 48. Consequently, very effective bale plucking action similar to that of the first embodiment can be attained.

In the above-mentioned embodiment shown in FIG. 6, plural sets of stripping belts are utilized and the supplied fiber bales 25 are reciprocally displaced above the stripping device by means of a pair of endless belts 33, 34 as already explained in the case of the first embodiment. However, it can be applicable that, plural sets of stripping endless belts 47, 48 are mounted on a carrier (not shown) which is capable of reciprocally moving along the space formed between two adjacent separation plates 40, under a supplied fiber bale which is stationarily positioned at a predetermined location.

As it is briefly explained in the section of the summary of the invention, the stripping device according to the present invention can be satisfactorily applied for the opening and cleaning apparatus in the picking process. An embodiment of the stripping device for this purpose is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The stripping device utilized for opening and cleaning cotton tufts has a very similar construction to the stripping device shown in FIGS. 1 4. That is, the stripping roller applied to this device has almost the same construction as that utilized for the bale plucker of the first embodiment, except the saw teeth.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, a plurality of thick pins 60 are planted as plural groups on the circumferential surface of the ring shaped member 9 so as to form a stripping member 12. However, it may be allowed to secure these pins 60 so as to uniformly cover the circumferential surface of the ring shaped member 9. A pair of feed rollers 61 are rotatably supported above the stripping member 12 by respective bearings (not shown) secured to the machine frame at an intervening position between a reserve box 62 and a main cover 63 of the stripping device. A plurality of horizontal grid bars 64 are adjustably mounted on the main cover 63 at apertures formed on both sides thereof as shown in FIG. 7. A pair of outside covers 55 are formed at outside and away from these grid bars 64 so that a pair of sealed spaces 66 are formed outside the delivery portion of the stripping roller.

When the driving mechanism of the machine is started, the pulley is driven by way of a V-shaped belt 21, and the driving shaft 13 is rotated counterclockwise (P direction in FIG. 7), Consequently, the stripping members 12a, 12c, are rotated in the P direction by way of the pinion 22 mounted on the shaft 13. The plain gear 18 secured to the driving shaft 13 meshes with the plain gear (not shown) secured to the driving shaft 14 so that the shaft 14 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 7. Consequently, the stripping members 12b, 12d are rotated in the Q direction by way of the pinion 23 mounted on the shaft 14. According to the above-mentioned rotation of these stripping members 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d. ,wherein two adjacent stripping members are rotated in opposite directions to each other, the fiber tufts delivered from the nip of the feed rollers 61 receives stripping action from both sides by the stripping members as mentioned above, and very uniform opening action can be carried out. It is important torealize that, according to the stripping action by the pins from both sides of the fiber tufts being delivered from the nip of the feed rollers 61, the increasing of the length of the hanging fiber tufts from the nip of the feed rollers 61 can be completely prevented. Further, as the stripping action in opposite directions is made by two adjacent stripping members, the relative stripping speed of the stripping members can be understood as double the stripping speed of the conventional device wherein the stripping action is only imparted from one direction to the fiber tufts being delivered from the nip of the feed rollers.,Consequently, the stripping speed of each stripping member can be very much lowered so that the fiber damage imparted by the stripping operation is remarkably reduced. When the fiber tufts delivered from the feed rollers 61 are separated into smaller fiber tufts, the impurities contained in the fiber tufts are extracted through the spaces formed between two adjacent grid bars 64 and these impurities are thrown into the spaces 66 formed between the cover 63 and the outside cover 65.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, thick pins 60 are planted on the circumferential surface of the ring shaped member 9, however, saw teeth material and the like may be utilized instead of the pins 60.

What is claimed is:

1. Device for stripping fiber tufts from a mass of fibers in the picking process, comprising an assembly of plural stripping members turnably assembled about a common shaft, a plurality of separation plates each disposed between two adjacent stripping members, a first means for turning half of said stripping members in a clockwise direction about said common shaft, a second means for turning the other half of said stripping members in a counterclockwise direction about said common shaft, each of said stripping members provided with a plurality of saw teeth or pins secured on the working surface thereof, means for supplying said fiber mass to a working position of said assembly of said stripping members, said supplying means disposed in proximity to and above said assembly, means for delivering stripping fibers to a succeeding machine and said delivery means disposed below said stripping members, whereby each combination of said stripping members turning opposite directions to each other impart stripping actions in opposite directions to said mass of fibers at said working position thereof.

2. Device for stripping fiber tufts from a mass of fiber according to claim 1, wherein said assembly of stripping members comprises plural pairs of stripping members arranged along said common shaft, said stripping members of each pair are turned in opposite directions to each other about said common shaft.

3. A stripping device according to claim 1, wherein said assembly of stripping members is utilized as a plucking roller of a bale plucking machine, top edges of said separation plates define the position of the under surface of a fiber bale.

4. A stripping device according to claim 3, wherein half of said stripping members are endless belts turnably mounted on respective drums rotatably mounted on said common shaft, another half of said stripping members are endless belts turnably mounted on said respective drums so as to turn in the opposite direction to said first mentioned half of said stripping members, said endless belts are provided with a plurality of saw teeth or pins planted on the working surface of said endless belts.

5. A stripping device according to claim 1 wherein said supply means is disposed above said stripping members, a reserve box for supplying fiber to said supply means, the reserve box being positioned above said supply means, said assembly of stripping members comprising an opening roller for opening and cleaning fiber tufts supplied through said stripping members from said supply means.

6. A stripping device according to claim 1 wherein said common shaft is stationarily supported by a machine frame in horizontal condition, said common shaft being provided with a plurality of guide members secured thereto at respective positions between two adjacent stripping members, each of said stripping members comprising a ring-shaped member having a smooth cylindrical inside surface and having an internal gear cut into a portion of said smooth cylindrical inside surface, a smooth portion of said cylindrical inside surface engaging said guide members, said first and second turning means comprising first and second horizontal shafts extending through a space formed within said assembly of said ring-shaped members in parallel condition with said common shaft, a first group of small pinions secured to said horizontal shaft and a second group of small pinions secured to said second horizontal shaft, said horizontal shafts being driven in opposite directions, the internal gears formed on half of said ring-shaped members being driven by said first group of 'small pinions and the internal gears formed on the other half of said ring-shaped members being driven by said second group of small pinions. 

1. Device for stripping fiber tufts from a mass of fibers in the picking process, comprising an assembly of plural stripping members turnably assembled about a common shaft, a plurality of separation plates each disposed between two adjacent stripping members, a first means for turning half of said stripping members in a clockwise direction about said common shaft, a second means for turning the other half of said stripping members in a counterclockwise direction about said common shaft, each of said stripping members provided with a plurality of saw teeth or pins secured on the working surface thereof, means for supplying said fiber mass to a working position of said assembly of said stripping members, said supplying means disposed in proximity to and above said assembly, means for delivering stripping fibers to a succeeding machine and said delivery means disposed below said stripping members, whereby each combination of said stripping members turning opposite directions to each other impart stripping actions in opposite directions to said mass of fibers at said working position thereof.
 2. Device for stripping fiber tufts from a mass of fiber according to claim 1, wherein said assembly of stripping members comprises plural pairs of stripping members arranged along said common shaft, said stripping members of each pair are turned in opposite directions to each other about said common shaft.
 3. A stripping device according to claim 1, wherein said assembly of stripping members is utilized as a plucking roller of a bale plucking machine, top edges of said separation plates define the position of the under surface of a fiber bale.
 4. A stripping device according to claim 3, wherein half of said stripping members are endless belts turnably mounted on respective drums rotatably mounted on said common shaft, another half of said stripping members are endless belts turnably mounted on said respective drums so as to turn in the opposite direction to said first mentioned half of said stripping members, said endless belts are provided with a plurality of saw teeth or pins planted on the working surface of said endless belts.
 5. A stripping device according to claim 1 wherein said supply means is disposed above said stripping members, a reserve box for supplying fiber to said supply means, the reserve box being positioned above said supply means, said assembly of stripping members comprising an opening roller for opening and cleaning fiber tufts supplied through said stripping members from said supply means.
 6. A stripping device according to claim 1 wherein said common shaft is stationarily supported by a machine frame in horizontal condition, said common shaft being provided with a plurality of guide members secured thereto at respective positions between two adjacent stripping members, each of said stripping members comprising a ring-shaped member having a smooth cylindrical inside surface and having an internal gear cut into a portion of said smooth cylindrical inside surface, a smooth portion of said cylindrical inside surface engaging said guide members, said first and second turning means comprising first and second horizontal shafts extending through a space formed within said assembly of said ring-shaped members in parallel condition with said common shaft, a first group of small pinions secured to said horizontal shaft and a second group of small pinions secured to said second horizontal shaft, said horizontal shafts being driven in opposite directions, the internal gears formed on half of said ring-shaped members being driven by said first group of small pinions and the internal Gears formed on the other half of said ring-shaped members being driven by said second group of small pinions. 